noah's bookman #6
Lavi stared up at the tall towers. “No way.” He'd never seen anything like this place. “Is this really the legendary ark?”
Rhode nodded. “This is the full ark. It's where humanity originated after the Great Flood.”
Lavi had traveled through doors on the Ark, but had never really gotten a chance to see it himself. This place was like a city in a cube. It reminded Lavi of some of the Mediterranean cities he'd been through on his records, except this was on a very old cube. Or something. Lavi wasn't quite sure how it worked yet, but he knew this was an incredibly important place to both the Noah and the hidden history of the world.
“Humanity originated here?” Lavi blinked.
Rhode nodded. “That's right, Lavi~”
“As history has it,” Lavi recalled, “the Great Flood came t' wash away all the corrupt people of the world, but Noah was saved by buildin' an ark 'n waitin' out the storm. He landed on Mount Ararat where he started a new world, yeah?”
“That's just the surface of the truth,” Rhode grinned. “Deep within this ark is where Noah created the ancestors of humanity. We're all from there, but only we with Noah's memories remember this part. Akuma are also created deep within here.”
Akuma? So this was where the Earl created them.
She walked around, twirling the umbrella Lero around in her hand. Lero, of course, fussed up a storm at first but has since quieted down. Rhode always got her way. She was the oldest. Lavi had been following her for some time as she spoke, stopping to observe the buildings and the streets.
“Don't get too far behind, Lavi,” Rhode warned. “You could get lost here forever if you don't know the way.”
That was quite the ominous warning. This place held more secrets than the birthplace of humanity, didn't it? “Where do all these buildings lead?” Lavi inquired, curious what could get someone lost for so long.
“Some nowhere, some in circles,” Rhode replied. “Others are endless pits of death.”
The last answer sent a shiver down Lavi's spine. Forever falling was not something on Lavi's to-experience list. He kept close to the Noah as she lead him up a stairway. It seemed to spiral upward forever, until they finally reached a door. Rhode bounded into the room. It was a room at the top of the tower he'd spotted earlier.
“This place has the best view in the entire Ark!” Rhode bounded over to the balcony and perched herself on the railing. Lavi soon followed suit, leaning against the railing, looking out across the entire ark city. It truly was amazing.
“But it's all going away soon.”
Lavi looked back at her suddenly. “Huh?”
“Not long ago, there was a 14th Noah. Like Sennen-ko and me, he could control the Ark,” Rhode explained, swinging her feet as she spoke. “He gave his power away to a human and fled, binding this Ark to Edo. Traitor.” She frowned at the last word. “The Exorcists Tyki's been killing are somehow linked to the 14th.”
So that was what Tyki had been doing. Lavi'd seen Tyki go out more often than usual by himself. Lavi had asked him what he was doing, and Tyki simply told Lavi he'd tell him all about it later and ruffled his hair as he left.
“We're not going to let those filthy Exorcists have the ark. So we have to download this one into a new ark Sennen-ko is making. It'll be better than this one!” She grinned at Lavi.
Lavi didn't quite get it. How was she going to transfer this ark into a new one?
“I'll be transferring this ark to a new one myself,” Rhode replied with a grin. “It's part of my abilities as the first Noah.”
It had been days since Lavi had seen the majority of the Noah or the Earl. He'd been stuck at the Camelot household with Cyril and his frail wife, Tricia, who seemed to know nothing of the Noah. Lavi knew Rhode was busy transferring the ark, but he had no idea where the rest had gone. His best guess was that they'd gone to confront the two teams of Exorcists that supposedly were heading to Edo.
Lavi sighed. Cyril's library was not as extensive as the Earls, and he'd already completely read every book in the short time he'd been there. He had thought not having Rhode bug him every day would give him some time to read, but instead he found himself incredibly bored and out of books.
The Bookman made his way down the hallway towards the kitchen, when he heard something which made him stop in his tracks.
Crying.
Lavi peeked around the corner, expecting to see Tricia but instead finding someone else. “Cyril?”
Tears streamed down Cyril's face uncontrollably. Lavi had never seen him cry. For that matter, he'd never seen any of the Noah cry. They always seemed so happy. Well most of them. Skin always seemed cranky and Lulu Bell never seemed to care. But other than those two, the Noah always seemed so pleasant. Crying never seemed to be in their catalog of emotions. Lavi didn't even think it was possible for them to cry anyway. In that sense, Lavi was like them. In his entire life, Lavi had never once shed a tear.
Cyril wiped his eyes with his sleeve and stood up. “It's nothing. Don't worry about it,” he said, ruffling Lavi's hair as he passed.
People didn't cry inexplicably like that. Lavi had studied enough people to know that, and while the Noah were different, they seemed to follow the same rules. Something happened and it almost definitely involved the Noah family. That was the only thing strong enough to affect Cyril like this. “Where are the others?”
Cyril sighed, debating on telling the Bookman, but Cyril had been around Lavi enough to know that even if he didn't tell him, the redhead would learn the information eventually. The kid was crafty. He had the investigative abilities which could rival a police detective and the strange ability to be in the right place at the right time.
“They're off on business,” Cyril replied, returning to walk down the hall.
“Cyril.”
Then again, Lavi was now family. The Earl had even accepted him as one of them. He did have a right to know. “They're fighting the Exorcists in the Ark,” Cyril replied. “Don't be reckless.” Cyril couldn't bring himself to tell Lavi who was among the Exorcists. It would crush him.
Lavi ran through a series of doorways. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Ever since Tyki had gone off to India while he was in China, Tyki'd been slinking around some sort of subject. Rhode knew too and the two hushed about the subject whenever Lavi was nearby. They were hiding something and hiding it well. And it bothered Lavi to no end.
Lavi stopped and stared at the ground. What were they hiding from him? Why? Certainly they had a really good reason for this, but curiosity was getting the better of him right now. He had to know.
Crack. Crack.
Lavi quickly turned around. The ground behind him was cracking and falling away. What was causing this? Was this a result of the download? Whatever the case, Lavi wasn't about to fall to oblivion. Rhode did warn him that falling to oblivion was a possibility in the Ark if he wasn't careful.
The crack in the ground grew, snaking its way over towards Lavi and finding its way underneath his foot. The Bookman jumped back several feet then turned to run in the opposite direction, heading up the hill. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He had no idea where the Noah were and if he came across Exorcists first, he was screwed.
But there was no one in sight.
Lavi stopped and looked up the hill. The tower. It was the center of the Ark and the point where someone in the tower could see everything in the entire Ark. If they wanted to draw the Exorcists somewhere, that was the perfect place. Something drew him there, almost as if it were calling him. He turned and opened a green door with an ornate curved handle and ran through it. He remembered the path that Rhode had shown him, following it exactly. Any variation of the path could get him lost and probably cause him to fall to oblivion.
Quickly, Lavi made his way through a series of doorways then up the seemingly eternal spiral staircase to the top of the tower.
He had to know.
“Join me for dinner, Rhode,” Tyki invited, sitting down at the long table. It had a black tablecloth with a long white cross down the center. A feast was set up at either end and Tyki was seated at the head of the table, the annoying card floating next to him.
“They're almost here, Tyki,” Rhode stated, perching herself on the side of the table. “So is someone else.”
“Huh?” Tyki blinked.
“Come join us,” Rhode invited, “Lavi ♥”
Lavi stepped out of the shadows. He'd been so careful in sneaking in from the back stairway, seemingly unnoticed. At least he thought he was unnoticed.
“I know you came through one of the doors,” Rhode admitted flatly. “We told you not to follow us.”
“Cyril was crying,” Lavi replied. There was worry in his voice, something neither Noah had ever heard from the Bookman. “I know somethin's up. Everyone's been hidin' somethin' from me.”
Tyki frowned. He knew. Tyki knew Lavi was incredibly observant but he didn't realize the Bookman was that good. He'd been hiding some information from Lavi since India, when he learned of something that might crush his adopted Bookman brother. Tyki couldn't do that to him. Three years ago would have been another story and Tyki would have taken much pleasure in crushing the redhead. But Lavi had grown on him. Lavi was family, and Tyki protected his family. Rhode and Cyril soon learned of the information Tyki had and agreed not to tell Lavi.
But hiding this from him any longer wasn't an option. In truth, neither Noah knew how Lavi would react. The Bookman always seemed so collected, his emotions so controlled and precise. This time might be different.
“Sit down, Lavi,” Rhode offered a seat. “You're about to find out.”
The doors at the end of the room swung open and Rhode bounded over. “Allen~♥!” She threw herself on the white-haired Exorcist and kissed him straight on the lips.
Lavi nearly lost his edge. Was that the secret they were all hiding? Rhode was having a secret love affair with an Exorcist?
“Rhode-tama~~!! What are you doing, lero?!” shouted the umbrella.
Tyki sighed, propping his cheek up on his fingers. “You like that boy that much, Rhode? It's the first time I've seen you kiss someone other than the Earl.”
Rhode giggled, snatching Lero the umbrella out of the air and dragging him along. “I won't give either of you one ♥”
Lavi looked past Rhode, observing the Exorcists who had walked through the door. He recognized Allen Walker and the girl, but the other man he'd never seen before. Lavi couldn't tell from where he sat but it seemed like there was another with him. Someone short.
“What are you doing?” Tyki frowned at the Exorcists. “Sit down. I want to talk to you before fighting.”
“I'll have to refuse,” Allen replied flatly. “I like to take my time when eating.”
“Time?” Tyki smirked. “Do you want to know how much time you have left?”
“Outside,” Rhode grinned, planting herself on the table next to Lavi. “It's a superb view~.”
The Exorcists ran past the table to the balcony where Rhode told Lavi about the 14th Noah only days before. It was then Lavi spotted the fourth member, a shorter man with very little hair. It couldn't be, could it?
“All that's left here is the tower,” Tyki explained. “You have no more than an hour left.”
Rhode ruffled Lavi's hair affectionately before stepping onto the umbrella and floating over to the door. With a sharp kick, she pushed the door shut, chaining it up with one of her creations. “Sit down,” she glared.
The Exorcists didn't move, the fourth member seemingly hiding behind them.
“Take a seat, Exorcists,” Tyki ordered, taking a wine glass, smirking. “Or are you scared?”
It was Allen Walker who made the first move, approaching the table then slamming his hand against it. His hand was unusual, almost clawlike. Lavi had never seen anything like it before.
But it was what he saw next that shocked the redhead. Then man who had been hiding behind the group took the seat next to the girl and closest to the Noah. His eyes were sunken in, a scraggle of hair on his head. Across the table in an Exorcist's uniform sat Lavi's mentor, Bookman.
The Breaking Point
“Don't make that face,” Tyki frowned, sighing. “I haven't set any traps. Didn't I say there would be no cheating?”
Rhode threw herself onto Allen. “That's right! My door's set up as promised!”
Door? Had these two been playing games with the Exorcists this entire time?
Allen and Tyki began to banter back and forth about cards. Lavi could remember when he first met Tyki. The Noah challenged him to poker and while Lavi's memory allowed him to naturally count the cards, the redhead did not take into account that Tyki would cheat the entire way through. Tyki cheated incredibly well, as Lavi didn't notice until a few games later. Tyki also had an impervious poker face, unbending to any sort of pressure. Lavi had noticed the same expression when Tyki was enjoying the pleasure of his Noah side.
This Allen Walker. Was it really possible that he could out-cheat Tyki? Who was this white-haired Exorcist really?
“Do you think it was destiny for us to meet?” Tyki smirked, leaning forward onto the table.
“Not really,” Allen replied coldly. “I've made many people strip to their underwear in cards.”
“So cold,” Tyki frowned. It was the only time the Noah had lost a game of cards and one where they had bid articles of clothing at that.
But it wasn't their conversation that had Lavi's attention, primarily. It was the old man. He hadn't moved since he sat down, staring coldly at Lavi the entire time. His mentor was on the other side of the table. The man who had taken Lavi under his wing for years on end, teaching him the ways of the Bookman Clan, teaching him first aid and several different styles of martial arts, acting as the only family he'd ever known.
It was twelve years ago that Bookman had first found Lavi, the nameless child with a perfect memory and a curious right eye. Bookman offered Lavi the opportunity to learn the unwritten history by becoming his apprentice and the young redhead had eagerly accepted. For 48 aliases, Lavi traveled the world with the old man, learning everything he could about written and unwritten history. But alias number 49 was different. It was then that Bookman had left him.
For the first month with the Noah, after Bookman had left, Lavi found himself missing the old man's snarky remarks, expecting to get hit or whatnot whenever he'd done something stupid or said too much. But instead, Lavi found emptiness, as if the old man had abandoned him. He'd left without saying where he was going or if he was ever to return. Lavi had not once considered the possibility that he would be on the other side of the war, secretly joining the opposition.
That's when it hit him.
“You're a Bookman, aren't you?”
The first time that Lavi had ever encountered an Exorcist. Allen Walker, the boy with the white hair, knew that Lavi was a Bookman with the Noah without Lavi ever saying a word. For a year since the encounter, those words sat uncomfortably with Lavi. How did Allen know who he was? It wasn't as though Lavi had “Bookman” written across his face. But now Lavi finally knew the answer.
His own mentor was feeding the Order the information. The Exorcists had the advantage this entire time. They knew Lavi was there from the start, recording for the Noah and gathering information on them as well as on the Order. That was why Kanda had orders to kill him. That was why they knew Lavi had been tracking their movements. They knew. They always knew. Lavi didn't even stand a chance against them. They wanted his life now because of it.
And the old man didn't even stop them from attempting to take his own apprentice's life.
Lavi's heart was breaking. The cold heart he'd kept bottled up within himself for years was finally breaking apart, cracking from the pain and anger that began welling up within him. For years, he'd controlled his own feelings and emotions constantly, keeping his true desires suppressed and withdrawn. He'd put on a mask that allowed him to take on any role, mimicking the emotions of ordinary people, giving the responses everyone expected without actually feeling a thing. And for 48 aliases, this worked incredibly well.
But today was different. His chest felt like it was on fire, as if it would burst and explode into a million pieces at any moment. It hurt intensely.
[ Does your heart grieve for every trail of ink you've left behind? ] There was only one other person who knew that language in this room. It was the language of the Bookman Clan, something only they knew.
Allen and Tyki also stopped talking but did not stop glaring at one another. Rhode was the only one who looked at Lavi. She'd never seen such a serious expression on Lavi's face in the three years she'd known him. But there was more to it. There was pain in his one visible eye. Normally she would take sport in causing that reaction, but with Lavi, it almost hurt.
Lavi snapped up to see Bookman still staring at him. Lavi remained silent. The ink he wrote on his records were the people he had encountered, the tales they told, the events they helped shape. As history moved on, the ink was often forgotten, only remaining in the Bookman's Records. As Lavi went from record to record, from alias to alias, he'd left the ink behind, unaffected by leaving them. But this time, it was different. He felt that he couldn't part from the Noah. They had become living ink, attached to his own heart.
[ Have you forgotten the purpose of our clan? ] the old man frowned.
[ No. ] Lavi had never forgotten their purpose but instead was doing everything to fulfill it. He was recording the hidden history, the information left out of the written records, about the mysterious Noah clan which had alluded the Bookman for generations. He was learning about what really happened during the Great Flood. He was recording the secret war that was currently going on. He was storing them within his mind to hand down to his own apprentice.
[ No, you have, ] Bookman countered. [ You've lost yourself in the war. You're failing as my apprentice. ]
Failing. The word rattled around in Lavi's mind, plaguing him with its existence. Failing as his apprentice. Failing his dream. Lavi's entire life revolved around becoming a Bookman. It was the only thing he ever saw himself doing, the only thing he knew how to do. Was he really failing at it?
No, that wasn't it at all. If anyone, it was Bookman who was failing as a mentor. He was breaking the rules, giving out his knowledge about his own apprentice to curve the war in his favor. Lavi knew it was him. It was the only way the Exorcists knew everything about him.
It was his fault.
“Shut up, old man! Shut up!” Lavi slammed his fist on the table, his expression no longer soft and controlled but instead twisted with pain and anger. “Just shut up!”
Tyki broke his staring contest with Allen for the first time since the Exorcists sat down, his eyes wide, staring at Lavi. The Noah had never seen this sort of reaction out of Lavi, not to mention anything so intensely strong. Lavi had never once raised his voice or shown any sign of anger or pain in the three years he'd been with them. Even when Lavi lost poker games or found himself nearly killed by the Exorcists, he always seemed to be in control. This was a shocking side of Lavi no one had ever seen. Whatever the old Bookman had said in that bizarre language had seriously caused Lavi to snap.
At the table, only Bookman seemed unphased by Lavi's sudden outburst.
“What happened to our oath to not get involved?” Lavi shouted. The old man was the one too involved, not him. “You've been feedin' them information 'bout me!”
“So have you,” Bookman interjected.
“You're fightin' on the front lines too!” Lavi added angrily. It was a policy of the Clan to never get on the front lines of a battlefield by choice. Bookman never fought in battles, only observed them, defending themselves as necessary to preserve their lives and the legacies they held within their memories. But Bookman had joined the front lines. He'd been fighting with the Exorcists. That was why he was here in front of them in an Exorcist's uniform.
“You're overreacting, idiot apprentice.” Bookman remained incredibly calm.
Lavi scowled. “Was that a lie about the Clan? What other lies have you been feedin' me?” The Earl was right. The Exorcists were nothing but trouble. They were trying to take everything away from him. His family. His life. His dream of being a full-fledged Bookman. Even his own mentor.
Something glinted in the light from the balcony but as quickly as the light came, it ended. Floating in front of Lavi were some of Tyki's Tease and stuck within them were acupuncture needles. The Tease fell lifelessly to the ground, the one surviving Tease landed on his head delicately. Lavi recognized those needles. They belonged to the old man, a master of acupuncture.
So that's how it was. He was one of them, planning on killing Lavi just like the rest of them.
Allen took the opportunity and launched himself across the table at Tyki, engaging the Noah in battle.
Delicate hands wrapped around Lavi's body, pulling him backwards and out of the way of the attack. “Are you okay, Lavi?” There was concern in her voice.
“The Exorcists,” Lavi frowned, “they're trying to take everything away from me.” His entire body was shaking. It hurt as if someone had impaled him with a javelin straight through his heart. He couldn't control it. The feeling was too powerful. He couldn't stop it. He couldn't control it. It was taking over him, the pain and the anger were too powerful.
Rhode noticed the old man approach. Her eyes glowed and he slumped to his knees. Lenalee, the female Exorcist, panicked, shaking him. “Bookman! Bookman!”
Rhode wrapped her arms around Lavi tighter, hugging him, burying her face in the back of his neck affectionately. “We'll take care of them for you ♥.” That's what the family did. They protected one another. These were the Noah Lavi had come to know.
Lavi closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths. His body stopped shaking and his heart was finally slowing down, although it still ached. It was nice to feel her embrace. It was nice to know he wasn't alone. It was nice to be wanted.
“I'm going to send you home where you'll be safe,” she said, then added, “but before I do, any last requests?”
Lavi looked up to where she was pointing. Rhode had caught Bookman in her dream world. He had never seen her power first-hand, but she'd told him how she played with Allen and Lenalee in the Rewinding Town. He knew very well how dangerous her abilities were. She was the First Child, the oldest of the Noah. It was expected.
“I don't care what happens to him anymore,” Lavi replied coldly.
A sinister smirk came across the girl's face. “Perfect.”